Control valve



G. H. PALM CONTROL VALVE March 23, 1943.

. Filed April l26, 1941 v @fem l-llnmm differentials o! automobiles.

Patented Mar. 23',` 1943. v

` UNITED STATI-:sv PATENT OFFICE f George I-I. Palm, Chicago, lll., assignor to Stewart- Warner Corporation, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Virginia v Application April 26, 1341, Serial No.. 393,453

1 Claim. (Cl. 251-125) My invention pertains to control valves and is more particularly concerned with avalve especially adapted to control the discharge from pumps of the kind used to supply lubricant to the transmission housings and differentials of automobiles.

A n object of my invention is to provide Aa simple and inexpensive control valve which will be durable and trouble-free in use.

Another object is to provide an improved con- .l0

trol valve which may be readilyv grasped and easily operated.

Another object is to provide an improved control valve which may be readily disassembled to remove dirt or other impurities which may inter- I1li fere with the operation of the valve.

Other objects and advantages will become ap l .parent as the description proceeds. l In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofa control valve ern- 20 faces of the wall 33. In practice, the plug 28 is bodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the control valve of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is -a partial section similar to Fig. 2, but

on an enlarged scale and showing the valve lin 25 open position;

Fig. 4 is a partial section taken on the vline -4-4 oi' Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 isla view similar to Fig. 4, but looking in the oppostie direction: and

F18. 6 is a partial side elevation 0f a modiiled -I form ofvalve.

The control valve of my invention is particularly designed for installation in the discharge conduits of pumps of the type commonly used to 35 supply lubricant to the transmission housings and Such pumps ccmmonly either maintain a quantity of lubricant under pressure or automatic means is provided to start the pump mechanism when the pressure 40 in the discharge conduit is relieved. In either instance, the discharge of lubricant from the pump is controlled by a valve in the discharge' conduit.

In Fig. 1 4lhave illustrated one form of my 45 control valve I3 as beingvconneeted to the discharge conduit VI2 of a pump of thetype which Ivhave described. In this figure Ihave shown my control valve as being provided with anozzle I4 having a tip I6 adapted to be inserted in the 50 nller openings of transmission housings, -dlil'erential casings, and similar enclosures. The tip\|3 lieu of the nozzle I 4 I may attach to the discharge the lubricant.

tube or any other form of spout'through which the lubricant is conducted to the point of application.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that my control valve comprises a tubular body I3 having a threaded inlet 20 for attachment to the conduitl 2. Lubricant entering through the threaded opening 20 flows through a chamber 22l and. passage 24 into valve chamber 26. The discharge end of the valve chamber 23 is partially closed by a hollow plug 23 threadedly attached to the body I3. I

The plug 23 has an hexagonal nut-like portion 23 and a tubular extension 3l terminating in a ilat valve seat 33. As clearly shown in Fig. 5,' the outer wall 33 of the tubular extension 3| is hexagonal and the ilat surfaces of the wall 33 lie in planes parallel tothe fiat surfaces of the nut-like portion 23, so that an inspection of the nut-like portion 23 indicatesthe position of the ilat surscrewed into the body -Iu to such position that one of the at surfaces of the nut-like portion 23 and the corresponding ilat surface of the wall 33 (marked 33' in Fig. 5) are horizontal, as shown lnFlg.5. A

Thevalve seat 331s adapted to be'engaged by cr grease,- the disc 32 is preferably made of al synthetic rubber, such as Cor-prene, or other suitable material which will not be attacked by But where the control valve is to be used to control the flow of water or other iluid non-inJurious to rubber, this disc may be formed of natural rubber.

The disc 32"'is located in a recess inthe valve 34 and is secured in place by turning over the lip 33. as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The valve is normally held in sealing engagement with its seat 33 by means ot a spring 33 which surrounds the valve stem 43 and which isseated against a shoulder 42 provided by the body I3.

The valve 34 is moved out of sealing engagement with its seat 33 by means of a two-diameter plunger 44 mounted in a plug 43 threaded into one wall of the valve chamber 23. A gasket 43 is preferably provided to form a sealed Joint between the plug 43Y and the body J3. This plug 43 has a shoulder 53 limiting outward movement of the plunger 44 under the force exerted thereon by lubricant pressure in valve chamber 23.

The in ner end of the plunger 44 is rounded. as aide 'of my control valve a conventional rubber 6c indicatedat 32, ami this rounded portion of the plunger 44 is adapted to engage the spring 38 and rock the valve on its seat, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In thus rocking on its seat, the valve pivots on the straight edge formed by the intersection of the at surface 33' with the face of valve seat 30. This straight edge has an appreciable area. of contact with the valve disc 32 and avoids the unnecessary cutting of the valve disc, which would occur if the wall 33 were made circular and only a point contact provided between the edge of this wall andthe valve disc 32.

The thrust of the plunger 44 may shift the entire valve 34 laterally and bring its upper edge into contact with the adjacent wall 45 of the body I0. If such'lateral shifting of the valve 34 occurs, the valve will not be coaxial with the plug 28 when plunger 44 is withdrawn. Such lateral shifting of the valve 34 does 'not in any way affect the operation of the device, and the operation is the same whether the valve remains in the position shown in the drawing or shifts laterally so that its upper edge contacts the wall 45.

A hat washer 54 of leather or other suitable material prevents leakage between the plunger 44 and plug 48. This hat washer is held in place by a metal annulus 5B secured by turning over the end of a thin tubular extension 58 forming an integral part of the plug 46. 'Ihe hollow plug 28 is provided with an internal thread 60. which in the drawing is illustrated as cooperating with the external thread 62 of the nozzle I4. This nozzle is provided with a cylindrical grip 64 having'a roughened surface to facilitate attachment or detachment of the nozzle. It will be under- Y stood that this nozzle may be replaced by a piece of ilexible hose or any other form of spout for conducting the lubricant from the control valve to its point of application.:

The plunger 44 is moved inwardly to rock the valve 34 by means of a handle 66 pivoted at 68 to an ear III forming an integral part of the body I8. This handle 66 has a boss 61 adapted to engage the rounded end 69 of the plunger 44.- The handle 66 is provided with an extension 12 which engages the lower ilat surface of the 'nut-like -portion 29 of plug 28 to prevent the handle from falling below the horizontal position shown in the drawing.

The body I8 is provided with an integral loop 14 to permit the control valve to be hung on a hook attached to the lubricant pump or to any other suitable support. 'Ihis loop terminates in an abutment I6 adapted to engage the operators hand between the thumb and index linger. It will be noted that my control valve is designed to permit the operator to grasp the body I8 in the palm of his hand with the abutment I6 lying between his thumb and index nger and with his fingers engaging the lower side of the handle 68 5 so that by simply closing his hand, he can shift the valve 34 from the position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 3. In this manner, by simply opening and closing his hand, he can control the discharge of lubricant from the nozzle I4. The

10 parts are so designed that little force need be exerted on the handle 66 to shift valve 34 to open position and to hold it in such position during the discharge of lubricant vinto a transmission housing or other point of application.

AMy invention is not limited to the use of a valve incorporating the disc 32 of rubber or other similar material. In commercial practice I have found that the all-metal valve 34a of Fig. 6 is equally as good as, if not superior to, the valve 34.

'20 The valve 34a has a ground, seat-engaging face 34h and a stem 40a, which may be identical with the stem 40 of the valve 34. It'will be understood by those skilled in the art that the valves 34 and 34a are interchangeable.

While I have illustrated and described in detail only one embodiment of my invention, it vwill be understood that my invention may assume numerous forms and is to be construed as including al1 forms coming within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a control valve of the class described, the combination of a body provided with a valve chamber, a rockable valve inA said chamber for controlling ilow therethrough, a tubular plug extending vinto said chamber, said plug having an external polygonalportion outside the body and a polygonal valve seat portion inside the body, said polygonal portions having their sides parallel, said valve seat portion having a flat valve engaging surface at substantially right angles to the axis of the plug, the edge defined by one side of the inner polygonal portion and the flat valve engaging surface constituting a fulcruni about which the valve ls arranged to pivot, a plunger for rocking the valve about its fulcrum, said plunger being disposed at substantially right angles to the fulcrimi, the sides of the external polygonal portion indicating the position of the corresponding parallel sides of the internal polygonal portion so as to insure proper positioning of the valve fulcrum, with respect to the plunger, and means for holding said valve in engagement with said seat.

GEORGE H. PALM. 

